The present invention relates to a hand held, motorized depilating device for removing unwanted skin hair, and more particularly, for plucking out skin hair, utilizing a new method to shorten hair-trap closure distance, thereby increasing the hair plucking efficiency.
Substantially all the depilating devices currently on the market operate in a very similar manner. Their operation is based on a rotating hair plucking assembly having a collection of tweezer elements mounted thereon. Hair traps, formed by the interaction between the aforementioned tweezer elements, are opened and closed by either employing a system of cams or by employing inclined thrust bearings. The first of these types is shown in the devices based on U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,341 to Dolev, the present inventor. The second of these types is shown in the devices based on U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,233 to Dolev. Another common feature is that in these depilating devices, opposing edges of the hair-trap tweezer elements remain parallel to one another, during the entire period of hair-trap opening and closing.
Opening and closing the aforementioned hair traps by employing a system of inclined thrust bearings is quiet, efficient and essentially devoid of excess vibrations. However, the rotational closure distance, traveled by the hair-trap elements from the instant the trap begins to close until full trap closure, is quite long. Consequently, a large percentage of the hairs that entered the trap at an early stage of closure succeed in escaping the trap before closure is complete. In addition, another substantial percentage of hairs is unable to enter the trap during the later stages of closure, as the entry gap to the trap has been substantially reduced at these stages.
It is possible to reduce the rotational closure distance, traveled by the hair-trap elements from the instant the trap begins to close until full trap closure, by employing cams to convey the closing force. However, use of the cam mechanism increases the energy expenditure, the noise level, the vibrations, and the resulting level of discomfort encountered in using the device.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a superior power-driven depilating device, which provides a reduction in the rotational closure distance, traveled by the hair-trap elements from the instant the trap begins to close until full trap closure. In addition, it would be desirable to simultaneously increase the hair plucking efficiency, without increasing the energy expenditure, the noise level, the vibrations, and the resulting level of discomfort encountered in using the device.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages and provide a hand-held, motorized depilating device for removing unwanted skin hair, introducing a new method to shorten the closure distance of the hair-traps without increasing the energy expenditure, the noise level, the vibrations, and the resulting level of discomfort encountered in using the device.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a motor-powered depilating device comprising:
a hair-plucking assembly, coupled to motor means, and being exposed through an opening in a manually-held housing, said hair-plucking assembly being rotatable about a shaft and including at least two disc-like assemblies, each disc-like assembly comprising:
a central hub;
at least one radially-extending swivel support formed thereon;
at least one radially-extending swivel element mounted in spring-biased fashion on a pin radially extending from said hub, through said radially-extending swivel support, thereby defining a swiveling axis, an outer end of said swivel element defining a flattened peripheral portion substantially perpendicular to said swiveling axis, said flattened peripheral portion forming a first hair trap edge, and
a pinch plate extending radially outwardly from said hub, circumferentially offset from said flattened peripheral portion and being disposed opposite a flattened peripheral portion defining a first hair trap edge associated with an adjacent disc-like assembly,
said pinch plate providing a second hair trap edge, which together with said associated first hair trap edge, defines a V-shaped hair trap,
and
a motion control means arranged to provide closing and opening motion of said V-shaped hair trap by forcing said associated first hair trap edge against said second hair trap edge during rotational motion of said disc-like assemblies about said shaft.
In the preferred embodiment, the hair plucking assembly comprises at least two hubs, each accommodating at least one radially-extending swivel support. At least one radially-extending swivel element is mounted in spring-biased fashion on a pin radially extending from a hub. The sidewall of the hub further includes a pinch plate, which projects radially outwardly therefrom. A radially extending swivel element associated with a disc-like assembly is spring-biased to a certain position and arranged so as to define a V-shaped hair trap, with a pinch plate associated with an adjacent disc-like assembly. The other side of said pinch plate forms a second V-shaped hair trap with a radially-extending swivel element of another opposing neighboring disc-like assembly.
in the inventive device, the opposing edges of the hair-trap elements do not remain parallel to one another, during the entire period of hair-trap opening and closing. With respect to the direction of rotation of the disc-like assembly, opposing edges at the rear end are closed first, leaving the hair-trap entrance open, and only afterwards is the entire trap closed.
The inventive device provides three outstanding advantages:
1. The rotational closure distance, traveled by the hair-trap elements from the instant the trap begins to close until full trap closure, is substantially less than the rotational closure distance traveled when utilizing parallel-positioned opposing edges of hair-trap tweezer elements.
2. Since opposing edges at the rear end meet first, that end of the trap is essentially closed. This effectively delays the escape of hairs that have already entered the trap. The trap closing displacement required for closure is shortened and more hairs are trapped and the plucking efficiency increased.
3. The shortened trap closing displacement reduces the noise and vibration level associated with the device operation, and consequently, yields a reduced level of energy expenditure.
To activate the traps in the manner described above, requires that opposing radially extending swivel elements swivel on an axis substantially perpendicular to peripheral portion alignment. In addition, the opposing edges must approach the state of closure with one set of ends biased adjacent to the trap face, i.e. the line of trap closure. This is accomplished by utilizing a biasing spring or other biasing arrangement, as will be described further herein.
According to the preferred embodiment, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the hubs are rotatably mounted on a fixed arcuate shaft and each hub includes engagement means for engaging at least one adjacent hub so that rotational motion of one hub imparts rotational motion to an adjacent hub. Trap opening and closing is accomplished by using a motion control means employing inclined pressure bearings.
According to another embodiment, the hubs are rotatably mounted on a straight shaft, and trap opening and closing is accomplished by using a motion control means employing cams or inclined thrust bearings.